Emeka Egbuka “Was Top-10 On Our Board”
April 30th, 2025
Bucs first-round pick receiver Emeka Egbuka.
The mysterious Buccaneers’ draft-day big board is a notch more clear today.
Before last week’s draft, it already was clear that Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht was crazy high on receiver/cornerback Travis hunter. So it’s a safe bet he was No. 1 on the official Tampa Bay draft board.
But where was the Bucs’ actual first-round pick, Emeka Egbuka?
Licht revealed that on The Rich Eisen Show, which Joe listens to on SiriusXM.
“He was super-high on our board,” Licht said of Egbuka. “You know, top-10 on our board, kind of stood out like a sore thumb.”
Licht also repeated all the things he said about Egbuka after Round 1 ended on Thursday night. The young man “epitomizes” everything the Bucs want in a pick.
He added that on the Bucs’ big board, “when there were any kind of ties or [players] were close in talent, we favored the defensive player.”
When the Bucs picked at No. 19, Licht said Egbuka was a clear “cut ahead” of the remaining players on his board.
April 30th, 2025 at 6:56 pm
Follow a plan and executing it
April 30th, 2025 at 7:01 pm
12 Year Starter !
April 30th, 2025 at 7:07 pm
Licht started to value WR3 higher once Arians arrived. Since then, I think he’s learned the hard way that depth issues will tank your ambitions.
2019: Breshad Perriman signed in FA, played a key role
2020: Licht signed AB and that worked out tremendously (that season only)
2021: AB stayed, but crashed and burned late season
2022: signed both Julio Jones and Russell Gage in 2022. Lots of cap space spent on WR3 and WR4!
2023: Russell Gage was the nailed on starter at WR3 until he went down in training camp. Massive hole emerged at WR3 afterwards, that Trey Palmer couldn’t fill.
2024: Used a premium (3rd round) pick on Jalen McMillian. Solid rookie year, showing promise, but injuries to Evans and Godwin exposed the lack of depth beyond that 3
April 30th, 2025 at 7:08 pm
I am liking this pick more and more. If our Pass Defense shows up this year-Watch out. Our Offense is Top 5. We have no Weaknesses on Offense. Go Bucs!!
April 30th, 2025 at 7:09 pm
I trust Licht. He’s given us no reason not to!!
April 30th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
love it more and more every day.
Was absolutely shocked when it happened, but I trust Licht and Co.
How unstoppable should our offense be this year? Baker MVP candidate?
April 30th, 2025 at 7:14 pm
With how great JL has been in the draft the last couple of years, and with how good he’s always been at drafting WRs, and with how many good defensive players there were on the board, this guy Egbuka must truly be special.
April 30th, 2025 at 7:17 pm
Baking with Grizz
LFG!!!!!
April 30th, 2025 at 7:31 pm
Best GM the Bucs have ever had. Met him in person and he couldn’t have been nicer.
April 30th, 2025 at 7:34 pm
Nothing Better, Licht has given us “no reason”? When was the last time he drafted a pass-rusher who was worthy of his pick? Maybe that’s why he went WR, because he can’t draft D-linemen to save his life.
April 30th, 2025 at 8:32 pm
By every measurable, Egbuka is close match for Chris Godwin, a player the Bucs found in the third round at #84.
If a high end number two receiver like Egbuka was ranked in the top 10 on the Bucs’ board, then that board was based on positions Licht was determined to reach for and not based on anything like the best player available.
Egbuka was the #30-ish player on most big boards. He was a big reach at #19 with so many top players in so many position groups still available.
That four game midseason loosing streak shocked Licht (or maybe the Glazers?). It is the kind of thing that gets coaches fired (and GMs?). With Evans out, Godwin lost for the season, and even McMillan missing a game during that stretch, someone decided to “fix it”.
By measurables, Egbuka compares very closely to Chris Godwin, a third round pick at #84. #19 overall for a number two receiver has not been the Bucs way of doing business.
April 30th, 2025 at 8:35 pm
What was he going to say?
We had him 19.
April 30th, 2025 at 8:45 pm
@toopanca
Spot on. I don’t know why they keep spinning this. Nobody but the bucs draft a wr3 at pick #19.
April 30th, 2025 at 8:50 pm
The Bucs have their way of grading players, so I have no problem with them giving him a high grade and selecting him with the first pick. Our best chance to win is to score the most points, and this guy can help Baker and the offense to do that.
April 30th, 2025 at 8:51 pm
Maybe you expected to hear. “He was a reach, but we thought we’d grab him anyway.” “Yep, blew that one, oops.” Come on, this is silly. What can he say? They all got the guy they targeted, the best fit, great [character/fit/production…]
April 30th, 2025 at 8:52 pm
a lot of so-called fans on this board are the worse fans I ever came across. They bitch, whine and complain about everything this team does. On game day, forget about it, they whine, piss and moan on almost every play. You guys are a bunch of clown.
April 30th, 2025 at 8:54 pm
Godwin’s behind schedule apparently too
April 30th, 2025 at 9:07 pm
For all of you BUCS fans the draft is over, get over it and move on. If some of you had your way we wouldn’t have probably any of the guys we drafted in the last 12 years. Let’s just see how it works out this year. After all we are Bucs fans and just happy we have a really good team to root for. I can’t imagine how some of you would have done during the yuccaneers era. LGB
April 30th, 2025 at 9:11 pm
@Jeffrey Becker,
I don’t think saying he’s behind schedule is accurate. The injury was so severe that Egbuka allows the Bucs to let Godwin heal at a normal human pace instead of rushing him back risking re-injury.
April 30th, 2025 at 9:19 pm
@toopanca
Apparently EE was also a top 10 pick on more than a couple of “big boards” unless JL and others are lying.
We did NOT draft a a Godwin clone or WR3
EE will be WR 1a or 1b in a couple of years IMO and he’ll make an immediate impact as a rookie.
Kid brings his own set of skills and talents to the table and will upgrade the WR room, and offense in general, while building a foundation for future success.
No, WR was not our most glaring need BUT we did address those areas (of need) in the draft and FA
Who were the standouts that you believe would have been better 1st round picks?
April 30th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
This pick is about scoring more points. Give Baker another weapon. Leighroy hit it right on. The NFL is about offense and putting up points. The rules are so offense friendly. Bucs have depth at RB/WR/TE now. We all know how ugly it was with out both Mike and Godwin. Not going through that again. Also shows Light might know Bucs D is still a work in progress. Got put up 40 a game
April 30th, 2025 at 10:00 pm
I love the “better” GM’s on here. I guarantee every one of you cursed Licht when he drafted Marpet. Dude is a frickin rock star and the rest of that front office too. I trust the plan explicitly.
April 30th, 2025 at 10:14 pm
We know the Sean McVay (Rams) and the Texans were both trying to move up to 19 to get him. So that answers your question of who else would choose Egbuka (wr3 👈 your opinion) @ 19. We also know the Bucs, Rams and Texans had him at WR2+. Crying for a week because the Bucs didn’t pick who you wanted is SO mature. You must be so pleasant to be around.
April 30th, 2025 at 10:39 pm
toopanca Says:
April 30th, 2025 at 8:32 pm
So you think the boards available from draft “experts” in the media accurately reflect those in NFL front offices?
Every team does their own research and ranks players according to what they value. Licht has done well with his drafts. He may value a guy like Egbuka more highly than a number of other teams, but it’s likely some other teams evaluated Egbuka similarly.
So what are your credentials for deciding what the kid’s actual value is?
April 30th, 2025 at 10:46 pm
Most people’s boards including sacred PFF bear no resemblance to actual NFL team boards – these scouts have evaluated these players’ every snap since high school.
Godwin is the engine of this offense – if he’s unable to perform at that level for the first 6 weeks of the season Emeka is the closest thing to it
April 30th, 2025 at 10:52 pm
Toopanca… come on man. Spitting that stuff like you are a #1 scout. Now, it’s likely Golden played a role in this but 2 teams (Rams/Texans) traded back after Egbuka was gone. He was clearly high on their boards.
Who these other studs we passed on that a bunch of other teams didn’t also pass on? Will Johnson? Starks? Green? Ezeriraku? Campbell? 3 of them were passed on by 20 other teams? You have a better eye for talent than all those staffs?
Shocking pick, but has made more and more sense every day since. We should all be happy that “can’t miss” is widely associated with Emeka and that’s a pretty nice thing to have in your 1st rounder.
Also teams have intel. Bucs likely knew they could get Godwin in the 3rd … only chance for Emeka was round 1.
April 30th, 2025 at 10:54 pm
toopanca Says:
April 30th, 2025 at 8:32 pm
By every measurable, Egbuka is close match for Chris Godwin, a player the Bucs found in the third round at #84.
If a high end number two receiver like Egbuka was ranked in the top 10 on the Bucs’ board, then that board was based on positions Licht was determined to reach for and not based on anything like the best player available.
Egbuka was the #30-ish player on most big boards. He was a big reach at #19 with so many top players in so many position groups still available.
That four game midseason loosing streak shocked Licht (or maybe the Glazers?). It is the kind of thing that gets coaches fired (and GMs?). With Evans out, Godwin lost for the season, and even McMillan missing a game during that stretch, someone decided to “fix it”.
By measurables, Egbuka compares very closely to Chris Godwin, a third round pick at #84. #19 overall for a number two receiver has not been the Bucs way of doing business.
—‐——————-
First of all, who the hell are you to know what other big boards looked like, and only a casual would assume big boards are about ANYTHING but projected NFL success. If Tampa drafted him at 19 you can bet your house that they simply scored him as the best available player.
Oh and in response to your “only the Bucs would draft a wr3 at 19” you’re wrong. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was taken at 20, who coincidentally is a much better athletic comparison than Godwin to E² and just had a excellent season.
April 30th, 2025 at 10:55 pm
With how good the offense was last year only thing I’m looking for is consistency.
April 30th, 2025 at 11:19 pm
I think the thing people aren’t talking about enough is where Chris Godwin would be drafted if you redid the 2017 NFL Draft. Yes he originally went 84th overall to the Buccaneers in the third round, but in most redrafts now, he’s going in the top 20—and in some, he goes as high as No. 5 overall. That’s the spot the Titans used on Corey Davis, and honestly, Godwin has had the better career by far.
The Bengals at No. 9 are also a popular redraft destination for him. They took John Ross, who had blazing speed (4.22 40), but never lived up to it. Godwin next to A.J. Green would’ve been elite. The Chargers took Mike Williams at No. 7, another receiver Godwin has outproduced.
By 2020, he had already had a 1,300 yard season, made the Pro Bowl, and helped lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl with Tom Brady. He was a complete steal in the third round. If teams had recognized the talent—his tape, hands, route running—he’s a clear first-rounder, no question.
But Egbuka was a reach?? No Way!! Guess we will see….
April 30th, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Can EE play CB off the line 15 yards on 3rd and 7?
Asking for a friend….
28-27
April 30th, 2025 at 11:46 pm
SwissCheeseDefense Says:
April 30th, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Can EE play CB off the line 15 yards on 3rd and 7?
Asking for a friend….
28-27
^^^^^
We’re supposed to believe you have a friend?
April 30th, 2025 at 11:52 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
“We’re supposed to believe you have a friend?”
My friend is Todd Bowles.
He believes in soft Swiss Cheese defensive schemes that even Kirk Cousins racks up 500 yards on.
It really is a thing of beauty. Guru like in some circles.
His stellar record is 28-27. Including a blistering 1-3 playoff record.
It’s hard to believe he hasn’t lead a team to the Superbowl as a HC with that type of resume.
May 1st, 2025 at 1:18 am
Swiss: That’s how you treat your friends? I’m not a Todd Bowles fan, but I’m not going to complain about him every day. It’s pretty simple, if the defense looks as bad as it did last year, Bowles probably won’t be the coach anymore.